London - South Bank Centre

Grouped along the south bank of the Thames, on either side of Waterloo Bridge, are the buildings of London's most important arts complex - the South Bank Centre. Built between 1951 and 1976 it fulfilllled a long cherished wish of the London City Council to redevelop and revitalize this once rather rundown area of the city. At the center of the complex is the Royal Festival Hall, which was built between 1951 and 1965 and can seat 3,097. Its acoustics are first class, providing ideal conditions for both orchestral and choral performances.

The Hall also incorporates the Voice Box and Saison Poetry Library. Alongside it are two smaller concert halls - the Queen Elizabeth Hall (seating 902) and the Purcell Room (seating 368), which were opened in 1967. These three world-renowned performance venues offer music to suit every taste, alongside a broad selection of performing arts. Top London and international orchestras and acclaimed ensembles all perform here, plus companies leading the field in opera, contemporary music, dance and mime. There is also jazz, pop, folk, cabaret and comedy as well as an ever-changing program of free exhibitions and foyer music events. The complex also includes the Hayward Gallery of modern art. Some visitors may find the bare concrete structures of these buildings rather cold and bleak, but from a functional viewpoint they are excellently adapted to their purpose, while the riverside terraces make for pleasant strolls.